Wicked Charm is a slow-moving, creepy and atmospheric read. Since much of it takes place in a swamp, in one respect this is pretty appropriate. As a reader, though, it gets a bit frustrating at times as you start to feel that like Willow and Beau, you’re spending just a bit too much of the book floating along in the alligator-infested waters…except the alligators feel like a pesky nuisance instead of an actual danger. Even the murders seem far off in the distance–there really isn’t much of a sense of urgency about anything until the last 20% of the book or so.

That said, there were things I really enjoyed about the book–the voice here was enjoyable; most of my highlights throughout are things Willow said or thought. There were a lot of red herrings thrown in as the story went along; whodunit wasn’t at all obvious and it was nice to be kept guessing (though the dual first-person POVs let you know early on who it definitely isn’t, though). Overall, it definitely kept me reading to see what was going to happen in the end; however I probably won’t be first in line to move to Okefenokee swamp anytime soon 😉

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

About the author:

Amber Hart resides on the Florida coastline with family and a plethora of animals she affectionately refers to as her urban farm. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She’s the author of several novels for teens and adults, including Wicked Charm, the Before & After series, and the Untamed series. Rep’d by Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.